College: 4-year

This policy brief from the Alliance for Excellent Education makes a number of federal policy recommendations that might support states’ comprehensive literacy plans, including: support for college and career ready standards, support for state level literacy teams, support for teacher education and professional development focused on content literacy, and investment in ongoing research and evaluation. Authors argue that major commitments are necessary from state and federal agencies to make substantial improvements in literacy achievement.

This policy brief from The Education Trust-West discusses the need for a more educated workforce. The author examines the effects of low expectations and coursework rigor for all students, especially low-income students and students of color, and provides recommendations that include a more integrated and equitable approach.

This report sponsored by the College Board identifies the research-based factors that contribute either to the persistence or to the attrition of young men of color within the education system. The author synthesizes the literature in context of the communities to find connections and intersections in the literature for each of these racial/ethnic groups.

This framework, sponsored by ConnectEd: The California Center for College and Career, discusses critical elements needed to build district infrastructure for Linked Learning, California’s system of preparing students for college and careers. The author identifies 17 critical elements that district leaders must consider to properly support Linked Learning. These critical elements are organized into three categories: (1) Leadership and Systems Alignment, (2) Pathway Design and Quality, and (3) Operations.

This policy brief from the Rennie Center for Education Research & Policy describes student learning plans (SLPs) as a way to prepare students for the transition from school to college and career. The brief includes an overview of SLPs, the research on their effectiveness to improve student outcomes, and the implementation of SLPs in other states. While the brief was written for Massachusetts policymakers, the information and recommendations are useful for other audiences.

This report, sponsored by the State Educational Technology Directors Association (SETDA), provides examples of education technology programs being funded by national, state, district, and local governments. The authors collected data on educational technology programs funded to state educational agencies (SEAs) through the Enhancing Education Through Technology (EETT) grant program.

This report by the Campaign for High School Equity (CHSE) examines different aspects of high school reform. The author makes six recommendations for high schools to improve education equity for all students: (1) make all students proficient and prepared for college and work, (2) hold high schools accountable for student success, (3) redesign the American high school, (4) provide students with the excellent leaders and teachers they need to succeed, (5) invest communities in student success, and (6) provide equitable learning conditions for all students.

This report from the Alliance for Excellent Education discusses possible reforms to ESEA using New York City’s Multiple Pathways to Graduation initiative as an example of how to create flexible policy to help high school students graduate college and career ready. The author examines the effects of federal policy on off-track students and provides recommendations that include increased focus on policies that address the needs of off track students and new metrics for school performance that take into account improvements among at risk students.

This Alliance for Excellent Education policy brief, targeted toward federal and state policymakers, argues that remedial college courses are economically inefficient. Costs associated with remedial courses include the cost of the course which is often federally funded through grants, and, because students who enroll in remedial courses are much less likely to graduate, loss of lifetime earnings. The brief argues that reforming high school curriculum and teaching and ensuring vertical alignment through college- and career-readiness are essential and much more cost effective.

This policy brief by the National Education Policy Center discusses the characteristics, benefits, and challenges of Linked Learning, a school framework in which academic content is integrated with career and technical education (CTE), and the two content areas are contextualized in real-world situations.